RufusW

I know most of you are probably thinking this is a daft thread, i've read hundreds of reviews about different bikes and i'm looking at buying a 4 stroker. I'm a supermoto rider, i'm normally found clowning around on old back roads amusing myself with power wheelies and the like..

My CRE500 was fantastic for this, i loved that bike.. except that it did 10 to the gallon and had to be premixed, which was a royal pain in the . So i sold it, i've heard so many comparisons and both sides of the arguament, the 'Long live 2 strokers' guys who are seeming to be more of a hippy crowd as each day goes by.. And the other end of the arguament, the CR500 is a dinosaur, which it is.

Basically i haven't got the cash just yet so i was hoping a few of you would share some of your experiences with me, tell me what you think after making the switch! The only 4 stroker i've ever had was an old XT600, different thing alltogether!! Everything else off road has been 2 stroke...

AnthonyB

Man are you in for a pleasant shock .... 4 strokes have come a looooooooooooong way in recent years, (particularly Yamaha) I grew up on two smokes, nonetheless, I settled for an XR500R as a "pit bike for general messing around / showing off". Compared to my then Maico Alpha490, the XR was a dog, (alto' it was very stable for lazy / power wheelies), so clearly it took a lot of persuading to get me onto another four stroke .... of which after a few 'teething issues' .... well let's jus' say that I haven't looked back An uncorked WR450 is something like an old Maico 490, (CR500?), and an old XR500R rolled into one, (along with a few "enhancements" to boot!)

RufusW

This is all gettin me thinking, i've been reading loads more and i got to thinkin what i actually need is a CR5 with Autolube:bonk: , but thats not gonna happen.. I'm actually starting to look forward to tryin out a 4 stroker properly now, can't decide between the KTM EXC525 or the WR450, swayin Yamaha's way at the moment, which is why i posted this here..
Can you really get somewhere near the CR's 'claimed' 67bhp with the WR450 though?
I'm gonna miss that 2 stroke noise...

Sycamore

I've got a Service Honda CR500AF and I wouldn't trade it for any one bike for single track. Light, tractors, SUPER reliable, easy maintenance, cheap to operate, etc. I race it in Hare Scrambles and Qualifiers and it's quite competitive:ride:

I bought a WR becuase it was easy on maintenance (for a four stroke) and I hate working on bike so the WR was smart... per my riding buds anyway. IMO get either the WR or a KTM...better yet go buy your 500 back again:bonk:

AnthonyB

@ RufasWSuch a pity manufacturers no longer publish their power figures , as new generation four strokes are something else ...They may well be a little down on power compared to an OLD large two smoke, however they have torque comparable to a tractor, and certainly better than any two smoke I ever owned or raced! ... and then there's their power delivery .... sooooo smooth, and it jus' keeps coming , (my WR's power is still coming on strong at some 12K RPM when the rev limiter kicks in!), as against a quirky power band? ... and then there are the added bonuses of less frequent maintenance , less smoke and less oil on you garage floor

Like you, I too had a good look at what was available, (and what was winning), before taking the plunge and buying a Yamaha. The final choice based on the @#$% backup & service offered by KTM in SA, coupled with the Honda's unreliability & valve issues

The KTM and Yamaha are both great bikes, but when something breaks, (which it will if you're pushing your limits ), I want spares not attitude That all said tho' ... buying a bike is an emotional not a logical decision, so ... Which one turns you on

RufusW

I've been thinking about this, it seems that there is absolutely nothing out there that will give me the buzz that the CR did on the road.. I've even looked into that new ducati but it just doesn't sound fun to ride..

Thats the whole idea behind it, something that wants to wheelie, sounds insane and is an all out barrel of laughs on the road, the CR was all this - but i just can't cope with a 25 mile range on a tank of fuel! Oh and it actually had the long range tank, which is how i got 25 mile range in the first place, i rode the bike hard but i'm not havin a bike like that and riding it in any other way, pointless.

Anyway, so far i've come round to the way of thinking that i'm going to try something different, like an Aprilia RSV Mille, a Honda Fireplace, A Gixer or an early R1. I'm not interested in anything Green with a K on it, nothing but bad experiences in the Kawasaki camp for me.

The other option is... a big dirt bike rolling chassis, something like a KTM duke and get my welder out, build a special. I have the skills and the tools, the bike i want just isn't out there, so i'm thinking.. KTM Duke with an RSV Mille engine:blah: ?

Yeah it'd be crap on a track but should be fun on the road...

Anybody think this is a good / bad idea?

Oh BTW just to add i really can't afford the new super duke or the Hypermotard anyway, mille engines are cheap, as are old dukes... I think the new super duke (the 999 KTM thing whatever they decided to call it) is ugly to be honest, but then if i could afford it that wouldn't stop me buyin it!

tweav

well I have both and my 2007 wr450 has nothing for my 1993 cr500 . the wr is a nice four stroke but it does not have the power of a 500. if I could have got my cr legal I would not have a wr at all . as far a having to work on one one or the other I'd much sooner work on the cr . there is no room on this wr you have to tear the whole backend off just to pull the carb . my cr I only reringed it 1 time a year and a plug every now and again . other then that it does not break . I'm still not sure how much and often things need done to this wr . I'm really not looking forward to changing the spark plug ,It looks like a cursing fest.

RufusW

Have a look about for a CRE, i was lucky enough to stumble across one purely by accident, they were made by HM Italia up until about 2000 i think, i had a 99 one, it is just a CR500 with lights, a number plate and a couple of bolt on bars, oh and a road legal silencer that belongs in the bin, it suffocates it, but its just the tail pipe and that easy enough to replace!

The CRE Also has a long range tank, but they only made a few Hundred of them... why in gods name did i sell it???????

Mutu

Can you really get somewhere near the CR's 'claimed' 67bhp with the WR450 though?I'm gonna miss that 2 stroke noise...

Not with out spending a crap load. I got procircuit ti gp pipe, hotcams, high comp piston on the wr450f and it isn't even close to my 500.You would need to bore and stroke the 450 out a fair bit I'd say.

Richie B

I've been thinking about this, it seems that there is absolutely nothing out there that will give me the buzz that the CR did on the road.. I've even looked into that new ducati but it just doesn't sound fun to ride..

Thats the whole idea behind it, something that wants to wheelie, sounds insane and is an all out barrel of laughs on the road, the CR was all this - but i just can't cope with a 25 mile range on a tank of fuel! Oh and it actually had the long range tank, which is how i got 25 mile range in the first place, i rode the bike hard but i'm not havin a bike like that and riding it in any other way, pointless.

Anyway, so far i've come round to the way of thinking that i'm going to try something different, like an Aprilia RSV Mille, a Honda Fireplace, A Gixer or an early R1. I'm not interested in anything Green with a K on it, nothing but bad experiences in the Kawasaki camp for me.

The other option is... a big dirt bike rolling chassis, something like a KTM duke and get my welder out, build a special. I have the skills and the tools, the bike i want just isn't out there, so i'm thinking.. KTM Duke with an RSV Mille engine:blah: ?

Yeah it'd be crap on a track but should be fun on the road...

Anybody think this is a good / bad idea?

Oh BTW just to add i really can't afford the new super duke or the Hypermotard anyway, mille engines are cheap, as are old dukes... I think the new super duke (the 999 KTM thing whatever they decided to call it) is ugly to be honest, but then if i could afford it that wouldn't stop me buyin it!

i dont think the R1 or the gixer would be any good on a supermoto track either haha no REAL supermoto (not just a naked superbike) is going to compare to the power of your 500. with dirtbikes as raw power goes, a 500 is the top of the line unless you want to get some heavy KTM.